I finally picked up the mail after several rainy days, and found various bits of good news.
Here's a piece of original art, a keeper of a get well card from MAR thank you so much I love it. Full of thought and stitching and kittens!
In the same batch of mail, the AARP bulletin had this news
A likely story.
And a fat envelope from my medical insurance with many pages of recent billings all totally covered, running north of $65,000 up to now and still counting. I'd guess Hippolyta will cost nearer $100K when all the bills have been processed.
So I did get coverage before anyone messes with Medicare and before my gap insurer, currently in disarray, falls apart.
I bless LBJ daily for getting Medicare passed. What it gives in peace of mind is worth the pretty steep premiums I pay.
At this point my upstairs walker is a place to hold clothes and the downstairs one is, with its tray installed, a handy trolley for moving stuff around. I think I've moved beyond walkers. Wheee!
Happy day everyone, I hope your health needs are covered. Money worries are the worst.
Ted sez
So glad you have good healthcare coverage. Totally covered is nice! That get well card is filled with love. What kindness. Service cats? Not ours. Served cats is more like it.
ReplyDeleteI think most cat companions would agree!
DeleteI am pleased you are in such a situation that you can receive good health care, but as you know, so many in your country are not. Medical care costs are now astonishing amounts. Our public health care system is far from perfect but as a public patient, that is no direct cost, we do receive excellent treatment, but just nor always in a time frame we would prefer. The absurdity is while I pay for private health insurance to a non profit company, I can't afford to use it because of all the extra costs. So, I am a public patient. No cost but a waiting list for non urgent.
ReplyDeleteLBJ? That is going back.
I've campaigned for years for extending Medicare to more of the population. If it were up to me, it would have happened by now.
DeleteWhat a beautiful card! How we (individually or nationally) pay for our health care is an ever-increasing problem.
ReplyDeleteTrue. But meanwhile I intend to enjoy the relief of knowing that up to now, I'm covered. Otherwise I'd be homeless.
DeleteIt's a relief for you to know that all your costs are covered. It's so hard for those who cannot access such help.
ReplyDeleteFor many years I was self employed and more than half my income went on health insurance premiums. I know about hardship. I lived it.
Delete"Cats were skeptical." Aren't they ALWAYS?
ReplyDeleteI think a cat wrote the report.
DeleteI’d love to see a service cat but…
ReplyDeleteI bet they'd be shunned by other cats!
DeleteGlad the card arrived finally. I thought the post office had lost it somewhere.
ReplyDeleteIt's certainly sobering to know how much your surgery would have cost and such a blessing that you were covered. I can't imagine how many people are suffering simply because they can't afford the healthcare they need and if the orange idiot and his minions have their way it will get nothing but worse.
One of my motivations in moving quickly on the hip replacement was to get under the wire on case Medicare is affected. That and pain relief.
DeleteMy PT tells me that a lot of people postpone care even if they're covered because they feel too old to do it. But no surgeon will risk his reputation by operating on a patient who's too frail. And I can't see dragging myself around in pain forever!
Well, many cats do provide tactile comfort to those who don't get a lot of that in their day-to-day lives. But Mitchell is right- I think a cat's motto is "I am here for you to serve me."
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet and loving card!
LBJ was a strange conundrum, wasn't he? I think his wife had a lot to do with some of the best things he accomplished.
Yes, comfort from a cat, but none of that switching lights and picking stuff up, that's the human's job.
DeleteI think Ladybird Johnson was a great partner, yes. My brother knew her well and loved her.
The card came from a sweet and loving friend I'm lucky to have in my life.
How do people without insurance do it? I think of Lizzie as my service cat -- or my emotional support animal. (Not that I'd put a vest on her and try to pass her off as one in a public place!) I'm sure she just thinks of me as her servant.
ReplyDeleteTo your cat, you're the help! People with inadequate or no insurance often suffer along, it's awful. On the other hand, if you have coverage, there's little waiting. I had the surgery in a month of my first appointment with the surgeon to explore options. And every test I've needed for years has been scheduled in days. This is good for health, because there's no time wasted while a situation deteriorates.
DeleteHealth care is rationed either by $$, or, in large scale systems, by waiting time.
I agree with the cats. I'm also skeptical. I think lots of people don't know how expensive Medicare and the supplemental coverage is. I'm so happy you were covered for this.
ReplyDeleteI think people don't understand you pay for Medicare! And the cost of the gap coverage goes up every year. My current health insurance is one third of my income. That's not cheap. But without the coverage I'd be wiped out.
DeleteThat is such a lovely card!
ReplyDeleteI'm lucky to have insurance also. Glad to hear you are better and better each day!
It's a keeper. It's lovely to handle and look at. Yes, I'm doing well.
DeletePetting cats can alter BP and reduce stress so there is that and having a pet can also reduce isolation and increase life span...too bad I can't teach Mercy to clean and do laundry. Happy day!
ReplyDeleteThey're definitely support animals. Laundry not so much.
DeleteLove the hair x
ReplyDeleteNice to see you in here, John.
DeleteSuch a sweet card!
ReplyDeleteMy cats have always been good support animals. Miss Allie even follows me back and forth to the bathroom on bad days--lol! She seems worried when I am not feeling well and wants to stick close to me.
Glad you have coverage! Medical expenses are so high!! And glad you no longer need the walkers...well, not for walking anyways--lol! ;)
My cats used to be good nurses, staying close when I wasn't well. But they wouldn't make me a cup of tea.
DeleteThe walkers are playing the role of a lot of home exercise equipment.
lolololololol on the cats point of view to that.
ReplyDeleteYes, cats don't cooperate. Not their job
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